Leave Me Stuttering
by Starladoll86
Summary: Just two days before her 18th birthday, Tina experiences one of her biggest fears concerning Mike. All about Tike but features a few others.


"I can't believe you won't be coming down this weekend." I tried to make it not sound like a spoiled brat but it didn't work to well. "I'm so sorry Tina but we have a competition being held here this weekend and our advance dancing instructor said we are required to help with it no exceptions." "I know and I understand that you have to stay, it just sucks. I haven't seen you in three weeks and Saturday is my birthday." "I will do my best to make it down next weekend, I promise. I need to go now so I can get some last minute studying in before my midterm tomorrow. Night Tee."

I threw my phone so it landed roughly on my bed next to me. The last three weeks have been miserable and I was beyond thrilled about getting to see him this weekend. We were going to go ice skating and hang out with friends but also spend some much needed alone time together. This excuse was a new one though; the first time it was too busy studying and then next came the sorority is having a fundraiser excuse the following week. I knew things were going to be very different this year but I didn't realize Mike would be changing altogether. Nothing would have kept him away from spending a whole weekend with me but this year it seems as if he doesn't want to be near me at all. Was he getting tired of me? I shook the idea out of my head quickly before I lay down to fall asleep not wanting to have nightmares about that.

The alarm went off what seemed like minutes later and I peeked out underneath my eyelids to see the sun streaming in from the window. I got up still groggily and walked over to the closet to start getting ready for school today. It was the last day that I would be 17 and I felt horrible. Feeling sleep deprived and already feeling sad for not being able to see Mike this weekend had me putting on one of my dresses that I wore a lot as an underclassmen. Now if only I still had the blue highlights to go with it.

Brittany was standing by my locker waiting for me to get to school this morning with a cup in her hand. "Happy Birthday Tina! I got you a cappuccino with sprinkles so it's like an adult cupcake." She gave me the cup before giving me a hug. When the New Year started, all the glee kids that were still here sort of band together but Brittany and I were the closest. You could tell she missed Santana greatly, so we kind of leaned on each other for support when the other was missing our other half. "Thank you so much Britt. You have no idea how much I needed this. Mike called me last night to tell me he won't be able to make it this weekend. There is some big dance competition at the school and his professor has required them to be there." "I'm sorry Tina. Well I can still go skating with you tonight since Santana and Rachel won't get in until tomorrow morning." "Thanks Britt but I'm not sure if I want to do that anymore now."

The bell had rung then and we went our separate ways to our classes. Thankfully today was my easy day and I only had Art and Creative Writing before lunch. My head was still thinking on over drive and didn't want to have to deal with a class that would cause me to put real brain power behind my school work. It seemed almost ridiculous that I'm in this funk but nothing could get me to shake the feeling off. This feeling that this would be one of the worst days of my life and I just should have stayed in bed was unnerving. It was like waiting for an accident that you know will destroy you and not being able to stop it. What else could possibly happen today for me to feel this terrible? The lunch bell rang then and it caused me to jump out of my seat a little.

I made my way to the cafeteria and saw the other glee guys sitting at our normal table. They were all smiling and waving at me when they saw me coming. "Happy early Birthday, I promise Kurt isn't going overboard with the planning but please don't be too mad because the party tomorrow night will not be as subtle as you really wanted." "I think I would be more freaked out if he didn't go all out even though I told him not to. He never could listen when it comes to party planning and fashion." Everyone let out a laugh at that comment before going back to their own smaller conversations. Brittany came and sat next to me then but I couldn't stop staring at Rory and Sugar. They were so cute together. They were the new Asian Fusion. Mike and I never acted like that anymore. He didn't go out of his way to put his arm around me or have one hand on some part of me wherever we went. I let out a sigh then unable to hold back how much I lingered for that closeness with Mike again.

"Tina, would you please come with me?" Brittany asked as she stood up almost pulling my arm with her. "Sam, could you empty our trays for us please?" She didn't wait for his response before she grabbed our bags and started dragging me towards the parking lot. "What are you doing Britt?" "I saw the way you were staring at Rory and Sugar. You want to be with Mike and it makes you depressed being away from him. So we are going to skip the rest of the day and drive up to Chicago." I pulled my arm free and stopped in the middle of the hallway. "We can't skip Britt. No matter if I want to or not." "Think about it Tee, you miss him so much that it makes you sad and when you do see him, he isn't the same as he was last year. This trip needs to be done and we are going so stop whining and let's go." She grabbed my arm again only this time I wasn't fighting her.

We stopped by my house before we got on the highway to grab some different clothes. Brittany thought a low tank top and short skirt would be the way to go but I knew Mike would be more impressed if I just had tight jeans and form fitting t-shirt instead. She did win the argument over my make up before we jumped on the highway and headed straight to Chicago.

It was almost 5 when we pulled into the school parking lot. I got out and straightened my clothes and hair in the car's windows before I started walking to the building where Mike had his independent studies class. He had told me, when he drew the small map of his school during his first trip back home, that him and a friend of his named Chris would spend hours there after class to make sure they stayed at the top of their class and didn't fall behind. They both had the same dreams when it came to dancing. Brittany was close behind me as I turned the last corner that I need to take based on the map that I brought with me so I could surprise Mike without having to ask him for directions. There was music coming from one of the classrooms and it wasn't long before we realized it was Gimme Everything causing Brittany to dance as we walked.

The music seemed to be coming from the next door on the left that was opened and it was actually the door that Mike had drawn a heart around on my map. Butterflies started swirling in my stomach as I suddenly felt nervous to see him even though this is the guy who has seen me first thing in the morning with no makeup and my hair looking like tumbleweed. I gently took the last step and stood in the doorway to see Mike dancing with a beautiful girl to the music. They switched off and on between salsa, cha-cha, and the whole bumping and grinding thing. Brittany was standing behind me now as I felt her hand on my shoulder because she knew my worst fear was happening in front of my eyes and there wasn't anything she could do to help. Tears started rolling down my face as I realized that this was the bad thing I had feared. This was the accident that was happening in front of me and I wouldn't be able to stop it. Mike had moved on and I was still a step behind. "Tina?"

Mike and the girl had stopped dancing as soon as Mike finally saw me standing in the door way. "Wh-What are you doing here?" "I really missed you and decided that I would come up here to spend some time with you since you couldn't come home for the weekend. I can see that it was a mistake now." I turned on my heels and started to run down the hallway until I made out to the common area that had a few students walking around and a school band playing on the steps. Brittany caught up to me then and wrapped me up in a hug. "Tine please, this is just us practicing and nothing more. We have to perform that number on stage tomorrow." "That was not what you look like when you just practice with some person. That was what you look like when you dance with me. There is something more between that girl and you than just dancing." "That is Chris and I have been dancing with her all year. We practice all the time and nothing more than that." "That's Chris? You have been spending hours a day with her and not some guy named Chris?" "Her name is Christana and we were assigned to be partners since day one of class."

"So you have never thought of her as more than just a friend or kissed her or anything?" "I-Tina this is insane. She is just a friend. You are my girlfriend and I love you." "Then answer the question Mike." "It's a stupid question." I felt blood boiling in my veins then and walked over to the drummer of the band.

There's a whole lotta things that I will forgive  
But I just can't take a liar  
I was by your side 'til the very end  
'Til you pushed me in the fire

I tried to believe you but something is wrong  
You won't look in my eyes, tell me what's going on

It's you and me against the world  
That's what you said, that's what you said  
If you can't be honest with me  
Then I'm afraid this is the end

Hurry up, hurry up  
If you ever really cared about me  
Tell the truth, give it up  
You sound guilty 'cause you're stuttering

Oh oh oh oh oh, ey ey ey ey ey, oh oh oh oh whoa  
Yeah you're stuttering  
Oh oh oh oh oh, ey ey ey ey ey, oh oh oh oh whoa  
Yeah you're stuttering

Now the seconds turn into minutes now  
But you won't give me an answer  
You can tell me this, you can tell me that  
But don't say you don't remember

'Cause I know you better than you know yourself  
So don't say I'm crazy, I know very well

It's you and me against the world  
That's what you said, that's what you said  
If you can't be honest with me  
Then I'm afraid this is the end

Hurry up, hurry up  
If you ever really cared about me  
Tell the truth, give it up  
You sound guilty 'cause you're stuttering

Oh oh oh oh oh, ey ey ey ey ey, oh oh oh oh whoa  
Yeah you're stuttering  
Oh oh oh oh oh, ey ey ey ey ey, oh oh oh oh whoa  
Yeah you're stuttering

I-I-I don't, don't wanna hear you're sorry now  
The best thing you can do for me is just spit it out  
I-I-I don't, don't wanna hear you're sorry now  
Stop, stop stuttering your words, it's only making you look worse

Hurry up, hurry up  
If you ever really cared about me  
Tell the truth, give it up  
You sound guilty 'cause you're stuttering

Oh oh oh oh oh, ey ey ey ey ey, oh oh oh oh whoa  
Yeah you're stuttering  
Oh oh oh oh oh, ey ey ey ey ey, oh oh oh oh whoa  
Yeah you're stuttering

Oh oh oh oh oh, ey ey ey ey ey, oh oh oh oh whoa  
(Keep on stuttering, yeah you're stuttering)  
Oh oh oh oh oh, ey ey ey ey ey, oh oh oh oh whoa  
(Keep on stuttering, yeah you're stuttering)

I sang the last note with tears still streaming down my eyes and saw that Mike was crying just as hard as I was. "I still love you Tina. I don't know why I've been acting this way. Please, you have to believe me." "Goodbye Mike", I turned around as Brittany wrapped her arm around my shoulder and helped me back to the car. She opened the door for me as I climbed in and started to let the tears and grief of what was going on now take over me. She slammed the door shut and the next thing I knew I was sitting up on my bed in my pajamas with soft tears running down my cheeks. I looked at the alarm clock on my night stand and saw that it was 630am on Friday, the day before my birthday.

It was all a dream. The sadness, lying, and crying were just part of a nightmare that echoed my worst fear that I had. I have been terrified that Mike would get so caught up in the college experience that he would forget about me stuck back home and would never want to be with me again. It was just a dream though and my Mike still very much loved me and wasn't dancing with some other dancer the same way he dances with me. Right? Without even thinking, I had picked the phone up and hit the number 2 for Mike's number.

"'ello, Tee is 'verything ok?" "I uh just wanted to um hear your voice." "Are you sure everything is ok babe? You sound like you have been crying. Please tell me you're not still upset about me not being able to make it this weekend. It is torture enough to be away from you but to know that you stayed up all night crying because of me would kill me Tee." "It was just a bad dream." "Tell me about it." "Don't you need to sleep?" "Sleep is for wimps" "You couldn't make it home for the party so I went to Chicago to surprise you and found out that you had been flirting with your friend Chris that you are always talking about and you actually had a thing for her." There was a short pause before he started to laugh out loud. "So you thought Chris was a girl and I was cheating on you." "I didn't think it was that funny. In fact I woke up crying over it Michael." "Sweetheart, I'm laughing because Chris is a guy. He is actually my roommate and looks a lot like Sam only he kind of looks like a duck." "I heard that." I heard a voice yell in the background and figured it had to be Chris. "Hey, tell her she has nothing to worry about." Mike replied and put his phone on speaker. "Mike is completely whipped by you Tina. He has pictures of you two and the glee club all over his side of the room. You don't even have to worry about the other ladies because he is so whipped that he has turned nerd around them. Now if you don't mind, I'm going back to sleep." Mike took his phone off of speaker then. "See you have nothing to worry about. I'm sorry if I have seemed distant but that is me just trying to adjust to everything. Being away from you is a lot harder than I would have ever though." "Yeah I know the feeling. I should probably let you go and get ready for school." "I need to go do my run babe but I will call you at lunch time. Remember, I love you always. It's me and you." "Against the world" "Always"

It was nice to see that the small details of my nightmare were right and it made the day even better. Britt was standing at my locker with the cappuccino with sprinkles on it, my easy classes were extra boring today, and all of my friends were happy to see me at lunch time. Mike did call me as I was walking to class after lunch to reassure me again that everything is fine and that he and Chris had a busy day ahead of them. "So I was thinking", Britt started as I hung up my phone with Mike and continued on our way to the Home Ec room. "Since Mike won't make it in tonight, why don't the two of us go skating at the new ice rink?" "That would be great but are you sure? I don't want you to feel like you have to just because I'm pouty." "I want to. It will be so much fun! I have the perfect unitard to wear and can put those puffy balls in my hair too." I knew I had lost her in thought as she walked into the classroom talking endlessly about her outfit.

We made it to the rink at 7 and were just in time to see the lights starting to come on. There were hundreds of small twinkle lights weaving in and out of the fence around the rink that flashed different colors making you feel like it was a scene in a movie. The rink was even equipped with skaters who were showing off in the middle spinning and jumping as if they weren't on ice. We headed inside the building where we needed to rent our skates and hung our heavy coats up. It wasn't until then that I noticed that Brittany wasn't joking with her outfit and really was wearing a skin tight miniature dress that matched her white skates.

Brittany went off into the rink first without any problems and quickly looked like those other people in the middle of the ice. It was a completely different story for me though since I almost fell on my butt after only taking two steps. I figured it would be best to try to hold onto the wall then so I didn't have a huge bruise on my ass for tomorrow. "Why are you holding onto the fence? You are supposed to go to the middle and do tricks." Brittany asked as she skated up next to me and began following me while still do fancy tricks. "I have never skated before and I don't have the whole balance thing figured out yet." "We can fix that." She pulled my hands off the fence and led me out to the middle never letting go of me. "First thing we need to do is work on your glide. I will skate backwards so you don't fall while I teach you."

She started gliding backwards and I tried to mimic her actions and found myself keeping up with her and not falling down or stumbling. We stopped after two laps to catch our breaths. "That was great! Thank you so much Brittany." "No problem, do you think you are able to do it on your own this time?" "Could you help me around once more before I try it all alone?" "No she can't but I could help you." A familiar voice said from behind me and I turned to see Mike standing about 10 feet away from me in the middle of the ice as well. I don't know if the smiling or crying came first but I found myself stumbling towards him before Brittany grabbed my arm and helped over to him. Mike enveloped me in his arms as soon as we reached each other and the tears started falling harder. "W-What are you d-doing here?" "I decided that there was nothing more important than being here with you this weekend. So I called my professor this morning and told him I wouldn't be in town this weekend for the competition." I pulled him down to my level for a kiss that made everything else disappear.

"I thought being a brilliant dancer was supposed to give you amazing skating skills?" I heard another voice say and looked up from the kiss to see a guy skating around Mike who surprisingly really did look like a duck. "You must be Chris. Sorry for the gender confusion earlier." I told him still holding on to Mike. "No worries. I mean I know I'm a complete stud but Mike just isn't my type." "Chris insisted on coming on this trip with me to meet you and find out more about the place that I came from." Mike said rolling his eyes while Chris just started smiling even harder. "Yeah, I was raised in Chicago and wanted to find out what it's like to be in a small town like this one. Mikey told me it would be boring but I accept the challenge." He noticed Brittany then and turned all of his attention to her. "You must me the best friend I have heard a lot about too. Brittany you are much hotter than Mike said you were." "Did he tell you that I have a girlfriend?" "Yeah and it makes you even hotter. Now I was watching you skate and think you would be decent competition to my awesome skills. So what do you say to a race?" "You're on"

I turned to face Mike again and saw that his eyes matched mine as he looked at me as though he was falling in love all over again. "I really missed you Mike. Please don't stay away from me that long ever again." "Never babe, it was really hard on me too which just proves that we are meant to be together forever." "So there aren't any cute girls at school?" I asked him jokingly as I started to loosen my grip on him so we could start skating. "Nope except for this one girl who looks like a female screech, now she is totally smokin'." I smacked his arm playfully the same time that I weaved my arms around it while following his skating motions. "I hate you Mike." "I love you too Tee, so much"

**I don't own anything Glee just love the show! I had three half finished short stories that were one my computer that I wanted to get finished and put out. This was the first of the three and will post the rest of them this week sometime. I'm going to be taking a huge break after these and will only be finishing up stories that aren't finished yet. No new ones for a long time. I really hoped you enjoyed this story! It was one I've wanted to finish for awhile but never had time. Thank you so much for reading! The next one will be about Puck and Rachel. Thanks **


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